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8:54:00 AM EDT
Feeling Chillin'
Songs my parents used to sing
When we'd travel in the automobile... Mother, Daddy and me... Daddy was likely to break into song at any moment. Often when he did, my mom would join in. They weren't great singers, by any means, but they could carry a tune just fine. Sometimes when I'm in a reflective mood, I can almost hear them singing those old country songs.
Some were love songs, and my parents would look suggestively at one another while singing. For instance, "I Love You A Bushel And A Peck", and "I Love You Because".
Daddy seemed to find special joy in singing "Lay That Pistol Down Babe". I don't recall hearing anybody but my parents sing that song, but I just googled the words and realize why he smiled as he sang it, because it has some pretty funny lyrics:
Oh, drinkin' beer in a cabaret
Was I havin' fun
Until one night she caught me right
And now I'm on the run
Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama
Lay that pistol down
Oh, I see you every night, Bing
And I'll woo you every day
I'll be your regular mama
And I'll put that gun away
Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama
Lay that thing down before it goes off and hurts somebody
Oh, she kicked out my windshield
And she hit me over the head
She cussed and cried and said I'd lied
And she wished that I was dead
Since my parents listened mostly to hillbilly music, that means their repertoire included cheating songs, and songs about being jilted, like "Slippin' Around" and "I'm Throwing Rice at the Girl That I Love".
We were a Church-going family, so hymns were commonly heard in our house and vehicle. Mother regularly listened to the Blackwood Brothers Gospel quartet on the radio. That might be where my parents learned these numbers: "Life's Railway To Heaven," and "Royal Telephone". That last one was a particular favorite, since we lived in the telephone office and were "central", which in the song is "never busy, always on the line."
Wow. I'm glad my parents liked to sing!
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My Dad's favorites were: I Dream of Jeanne with the Light Brown Hair, Have You Ever Swung On A Star, Mare's Eat Oats, She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain, When It's Springtime In the Rockies
Those were just some of them, LOL. Of course I remember them, b/c he would sing them over and over again, LOL. Yes, it was fun!
Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink -
I'm glad your parents liked to sing too, because it makes you bring back good memories to me. I probably would have never thought of "Pistol packin' mama" again in my lifetime. THANK YOU.
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I used to sing "I love you, a bushel and a peck" to my kids (I'm 40) because I learned it from my parents. Now my kids sing it.
Lori
http://journals.aol.com/helmswondermom/DustyPages/ -
AH-HA!!! THAT IS WHERE YOU GOT YOUR PRETTY VOICE!!!
LOVE YA,
CARLENE
9/19/06 7:55 AM